JBL TLX160 (1994)
The JBL TLX160 is the top model of JBL's TLX series. The period catalog says the line was developed so you could enjoy music with your preferred sound in a size that fits your room. It came out in 1994 at ¥47,500 per unit in the Japanese market, and it's a 3-way, 3-driver bass-reflex bookshelf speaker. It's an odd duck in the broader JBL catalog. Most of the company's well-documented history centers on the professional monitors and L-series home speakers from the 1970s. The TLX160 sits apart from that, a later, more compact design aimed at the domestic Japanese market.
The drivers are a 24 cm cone woofer, a 10 cm cone midrange, and a 2.5 cm dome tweeter. JBL's own literature makes a lot of the materials. The woofer diaphragm is a high-rigidity blend of paper pulp and corn paper, meant to suppress split vibration. The midrange uses a light, rigid paper-laminated cone for smooth response. The tweeter is a titanium-laminated soft dome, an attempt to get the extended top end of titanium with the consistency of a soft dome. The crossover points are 600 Hz and 3 kHz. Rated frequency response is 40 Hz to 25 kHz, with the -6 dB point at 45 Hz to 20 kHz. Sensitivity is 91 dB/2.83V/m, nominal impedance is 4 ohms, and the recommended amplifier range is 10W to 140W.
The enclosure has a "furniture finish," a calm, understated look. The bass reflex port is on the rear to avoid muddying the midrange. The speaker terminals sit at the bottom of the rear baffle, which JBL says lets you route the speaker cable cleanly with minimal length. Dimensions are 280 x 580 x 300 mm (W x H x D), and each speaker weighs 12.5 kg.
The documented record on the TLX160 is thin beyond the spec sheet. No period reviews or owner opinions have surfaced, and there's no information on production end dates or market positioning beyond its place atop the TLX line. What does exist is on the secondary market. Foam surround repair kits are available, compatible with the TLX160, TLX161, and TLX9. At least one repair shop advertises service for the "JBL TLX Serie." Used listings have appeared in Malaysia (around RM350) and on Yahoo Auctions Taiwan. A manual is available on HiFi Engine.
- Type: 3-way, 3-driver, bass-reflex bookshelf
- Drivers: 24 cm cone woofer, 10 cm cone midrange, 2.5 cm titanium-laminated soft dome tweeter
- Frequency response: 40 Hz – 25 kHz (45 Hz – 20 kHz at -6 dB)
- Sensitivity: 91 dB / 2.83V/m
- Impedance: 4 ohms
- Crossover: 600 Hz, 3 kHz
- Recommended amp: 10W – 140W
- Dimensions: 280 x 580 x 300 mm
- Weight: 12.5 kg
- Price (1994, Japan): ¥47,500 per unit
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